Great British Weekend: Conwy, Wales

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Conwy Castle was built for, but never visited by, Edward I. He missed out

You can’t get away from the castle in Conwy.

Everywhere you go, there’s a turret or crumbling rampart. So successfully does it dominate the landscape, with its vast stone walls that surround the North Wales seaside town that it gives the impression that its dramatic bulk might still be in control of the coastline.

Built in the 13th century as an English stronghold for Edward I, it was intended for exactly this purpose. Except for one siege by Welsh rebels in 1295 — crushed easily thanks to the castle’s 5m-thick walls — its defences were never truly tested.